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` Ice Machine and RefrigerenjorI No. 239,591. Patented March 29, M88I. A

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T. L. RANKIN, Ice Mech'ne and Refrigerator.

N'o. 23e',591.. Patented Marchze, issn WITNESSES: f TNVENTeRf t y. ATTORNEYS.

llllsirutai)l STATE-s THOMAS L. RANKIN,

PATENT Ormea,

or :NEW YORK, N. Y.

I-CE- IVIACH INE AN Di R E FRIIG E R-ATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming partei" Letters Batent No. 239,591, dated` March 29, 1881.

Applicationled February 21, 1880. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, THOMAS L. RANKIN, of the city, county, and State ofNeW York, have invented a newand Improved Refrigerator, of which the( following 1is` a specication.

Figurel isa perspective view ot the refrigf erator. Fig. 2 isan endelevation of thelsame. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan ofthe equalizer. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation on line fr. x, Fig.`

`2. Fig. 5.is a longitudinal sectional elevation on liney y, Fig.2. Fig. 6 is a transverse secf tional elevation on. line zz, Fig. 5.

Similar letters. ot"` reference` indicate correspondin g` parts.

The object of this inventionis to provideia compact, durable, and effective apparatus for refrigerating breweries packing-houses, vesselscarrying meats, 85e.

The invention consists `in extending the am.-` monia-tubes at both ends and: through both heads. of the.- boiler, to bring` the joints and connectionsonthe outside, in combining with the` ammonia tubes shorter tubes.` passing through the heads andhavin g suitable connections, in combiningan equalizer of particular construction with the` ammonia-tubes, and in a general combination of the essential elements of the refrigerator, all as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, A represents thefboiler, set at an inclination of ten or fifteen degrees, or thereabout, from a horizontal line, through which boiler A the ammonia still or tubes A' extend longitudinally through both heads of the said boiler, so that the joints and connections of said still or tubes A' are all outside'of the boiler A and are accessible.

The boiler A may be used with Water in it and a iire under it, after the manner of an ordinary boiler, thus furnishing steam'for heating the ammonia still or tubes A', as well as for operating the pumps, 8vo.; or it may be used by turning steam into it from another boiler; or it may be supplied with steam from an engine-exhaust.

Each ammoniatube A' has solid heads welded on each end, and screwed into the front ends, preferably by means of nipples, are the pipes c, that extend upward to within about eighteen inches ot' the rear ends ot' the said ammonia-tubes A', so that the liquid forced through the equalizer E into the ammoniatubes A' rises until-it covers the end of the upper pipe, c, and: then ows through said pipe c and the` outside pipe-connections, d, to the next tube A', and through its pipe c, and so on until the saidy liquid reachesthe loweritube, fA'; and,` by this arrangement it will be seen that a nearly triangular or wedge-shaped clear space, f, is left at the highest points of. the said tubesiA', giving ahigh boiling-point for the ammonia-gas topass oft' freely from eachtube A", asithough they were independent of each other. As the ammonia-gas passes independently fromeach tube A' to the aqueous-vapor condenser G'through the pipes g, the ammonia-water vbecomes weaker and weaker as it reaches alower level in the i said ammoniatubes, and finally passes ott under the gaseous pressure in the tubes A', through the cock h, `pipe h', wetting-water receiver D,.and pipe t, into the outer. pipe, 7c, of the equalizer E. This weak-Water receiver D is provided with a gage, (represented at f,`) for showing the amount of weakwater passing from the tubes A2' to the equalizer E, and thence by pipe f through cooling-coils in the` cylinder E', bylpipe f" to the absorberA F1.

The water-jacket C of the aqueous-vapor condenser() assists in condensing any steam that may pass from theaminonia still or tubes A', said condensed steam flowing back to the said still or tubes,` A through suitable pipes, while the ammonia-gas passes up and out through the pipe l tothe condenser G, and in this condenser G the gas liqueties and liows into the liquid-receiver H through the pipe n, whence it expands through 'the pipe o and valve o' into the refri gerating-cylinder\1, Where it (the expanding gas) cools the brine or noncongealing liquid that is introduced into said refrigerati11g-cylinder I through the inlet-pipe p, and that flows out through the outlet-pipe p', said refrigerated brine or other non-congealing liquid being then passed through suit able pipes, tubes, or other vessels, to cool the room or apartment and the contents thereof, in which said pipes, tubes, &c., are placed. From the condenser G the cooling-water flows through the pipe to the cylinder E', from which cylinder it flows through the tube to the water-back C', and finally flows to waste IOO through the pipe x. From the refrigeratingcylinder I the gas flows through the pipe and valve q to the lower tube of the absorber F, which absorber F is of like construction with the combined boiler and still A A', excepting that the tubes r are connected only by outside pipes r', so that the iiow is continuous, in at one end and out at the other of the said tubes r. This absorber F is supplied with water for cooling the contents thereof, for carrying off the heat of absorption through the inlet-pipe c, which water escapes through the outlet-pipe m into the condenser G. In the refrigeratingcylinder I are coils, in which the liquefied anlmonia is expanded for cooling the non-congealing liquid or brine that is pumped through it. The cold stron g water that has been formed in the absorber F by the mingling of the weak water from the tubes or still A and the gas from the refrigerating-cylinder I is taken from the lower tube of the said absorber F (the said absorber being furnished with a gage, S, to show the amount of water in it) by the pump K through the pipe t, and thereby forced into and through the coil u of the aqueous-vapor condenser C, and thence through the inner pipe, lo', of the equalizer E, there to receive heat from the weak water that is passing through the outer pipe, k, and thence to the still or tubes A again for renewed action and circulation. This cold strong water passing through the coil u operates, in combination with the waterjacket C', to condense any steam coming from the still or tubes A.

The pipes k k of the equalizer E are tapered and welded together at their ends, in the manner indicated in the drawings, for the purpose of securing tight joints.

The advantages of this combination of boiler and still are, that thereby an equal temperature is secured to all the still-tubes, and that the said tubes cannot be burned, and are consequently safer than if exposed directly to a iire, and the apparatus can be operated by a re under the boiler or by steam introduced into it-a great advantage where other boilers are in use, as in breweries and on steamships 5 and a special advantage of the combination is, that steam can be generated in the boiler for working pumps, Svc., and evapora-ting the ammonia at the same time.

The close compact form of this refri geratin g apparatus adapts it especially for refri geratin g ships, where but small space can be afforded.

When the apparatus is operated by introducing steam into the boiler A, the pipe w serves as the steam-inlet, and w as the outlet for the condensed steam.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A refrigerator constructed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of boiler A, still A', aqueous-vapor condenser C, weak-water receiver D, equalizer E, absorber F, condenser G, liquid-receiver H, refrigerating-cylinder I, and pump K, with their respective coils, pipes, tubes, and connections, as set forth.

2. ln a refrigerator, the combination, with the ammonia-tubes, of an equalizer, E, constructed of an inner and an outer pipe, lc k, respectively, said pipes being tapered and welded at their ends, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. ln a refrigerator, the combination, with the amnioniatubes A', of the pipes c, passing through the heads, made shorter than said tubes, and having connections, as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a refrigerator, the ammonia-tubes A', exten-ded at both ends longitudinally through both heads of the boiler A, to allow the joints and connections to be' made on the outside of the boiler, for the purpose speciiied.

THOS. L. RANKIN.

Witnesses:

I. I. STORER, O. SEDGwIoK. 

